Best Gaming Laptops in 2019

We're a virtual company made up of tech experts from across the globe. We live and breathe Windows laptops, and use and review plenty — including those focused on gaming — to find the best picks for you.

Who should buy this gaming laptop

Anyone who wants the performance necessary for a quality gaming experience inside a lightweight laptop should check out the Razer Blade 15. The sleek chassis is rather understated (you could use it as an everyday PC while not gaming) and the display will make games look beautiful.

Is it a good time to buy this laptop?

This is the latest update to the standard Blade gaming laptop. It has 8th Gen Intel Core CPU options, NVIDIA 10-series graphics, and it's only been out for a few months. If you want a sleek gaming laptop now, seriously consider the Blade 15.

Reasons to buy

Perfect color reproduction

Chassis just 0.68-inches thick

Plenty of configuration options

Available 144 Hz refresh rate

Excellent performance

Reasons not to buy

Cheaper options available

Might not need this much performance

Razer's Blade 15 is one impressive package

Although it gets hot when under intensive load, the Razer Blade packs a wallop and looks great while running. The 15.6-inch display is available with up to a 4K resolution at 60 Hz, though most will want to check out the FHD display with a 144Hz refresh rate for silky-smooth visuals and far better gaming performance. No matter what, you're getting outstanding color reproduction and contrast.

A gaming laptop that could be mistaken for a standard Ultrabook.

The hardware available, including 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8750H CPU and NVIDIA GTX 1070 GPU, allows for some serious gaming performance, yet this is one of the thinnest and lightest gaming laptops on the market at just 0.68-inches thick. There's no extra plastic-y bulk that makes it look fast; this is rather the closest thing to a true gaming Ultrabook.

You're getting a good selection of ports if you'd like to connect peripherals or external monitors, and the 80Wh battery will get you between three and four hours of battery life when put to the test.

Alternatives to the Razer Blade 15

The Razer Blade 15 is quite expensive and does offer gaming performance that not everyone needs. Its understated design also might not be exactly what you're looking for if you like extra lights and an aggressive look. In any case, there are some worthwhile alternatives to check out.

Get inside up to an 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8750H six-core CPU, NVIDIA GTX 1060 GPU, 16 GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 256 GB PCIe SSD coupled with a 2 TB hard-disk drive. The 15.6-inch display comes in FHD options only, but you can choose from a few different options with a 144 Hz refresh rate model coming soon. Grab a NVIDIA GTX 1050, 1050 Ti, or 1060 to top if off.

Each Alienware 17 is customizable, allowing you to adjust based on budget and preference. Get inside up to an 8th Gen Intel Core i9-8950HK six-core CPU, 32 GB of DDR4 RAM, and 2 TB of PCIe SSD storage coupled with 1 TB of HDD storage. The 17-inch display is available in 1080p, 1440p, and 4K, and everything looks great powered by a NVIDIA GTX 1060, 1070, or 1080 GPU.

Extra slim

If you like your gaming laptop thin and without much of the extra bulk often associated with these devices, check out MSI's GS65 Stealth Thin. It's quite slim, but it still maintains gaming performance.

It's just 0.7 inches thick and weighs in just under four pounds with a NVIDIA GTX 1070 GPU inside, with a GTX 1060 also available. Add a six-core 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8750H CPU, 32 GB of RAM, and 1 TB SSD to the mix for a lot of power, and enjoy it all on a 15.6-inch FHD display with 144Hz refresh rate. There's hardly any bezel, it has Thunderbolt 3, and the RGB keyboard can be customized.

The Triton 700 is thin yet built well, with a sturdy chassis that holds a respectable amount of hardware. Aside from the GTX 1080 GPU, you get a 7th Gen Intel Core i7-7700HQ CPU, 32 GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 512 GB PCIe SSD. It has a mechanical keyboard for quick response, and the 15.6-inch display is set at 1080p with a 120 Hz refresh rate.

The big 17.3-inch display comes in 1080p with either a 120 Hz or 144 Hz refresh rate, as well as 4K if you need the extra pixels. Get up to a NVIDIA GTX 1080 GPU with a 7th Gen Intel Core i7-7820HK CPU, add 32 GB of DDR4 RAM for no bottlenecks, and save your games on two 1 TB PCIe SSDs coupled with a 1 TB HDD.

Bottom line

The 15-inch Razer Blade is our top pick for a gaming laptop thanks to a slim chassis, sleek design, and excellent performance. If you're looking for something cheaper, larger, or with a different look, there are certainly some quality alternatives available.

Credits — The team that worked on this guide

Cale Hunt is a full-time writer for Windows Central, focusing mainly on PC hardware and VR. He is an avid PC gamer and multi-platform user, and when he has some free time you can usually find him practicing guitar or reorganizing his ever-growing library. If you hear him say "Sorry!" it's only because he's Canadian.

Daniel Rubino is executive editor of Windows Central. He has been covering Microsoft since 2009 back when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, Surface, HoloLens, Xbox, and future computing visions. Follow him on Twitter: @daniel_rubino.